Published: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 7:18 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 7:27 p.m.

Most teams in Downtown Gadsden Inc.’s sixth annual Chili Cook-off Saturday will be serving chili the usual way. The Prince Metal Stamping team will have a ringer, however — a robot that will serve chili and drinks to spectators.

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The plant produces automotive parts and has been in Gadsden for eight years. It employs 150 people and is undergoing an expansion.

A team from Prince Metal Stamping entered the chili competition last year. Frank Ciampini, corporate manufacturing manager, said the company wanted to do something “different” this year, so it programed a production robot to help serve chili.

“We thought it was a lot of fun,” Ciampini said, “and we thought we would do something a little different for the community and put a little bit of a show on — just embellish the chili cook-off.”

Ciampini said there are about 25 robots in the Prince Metal Stamping plant, at a cost of about $35,000 apiece. This one is mounted on a trailer, has an arm that is about 8 feet long and is used on the assembly line to handle material.

“What this robot is going to do is people are going to walk up to our display, (and) we’re going to have options as to what things they can have,” Ciampini said. “They can have chili, and then they can order drinks.”

There will be a button for chili and a button for canned drinks on the robot’s display panel.

“It’s kind of our way to show the community what we’re all about, and hopefully (we) can attract some talent, too,” Ciampini said, adding that the plant needs personnel to work with robotics.

DGI Director Kay Moore said using the robot is within the rules of the contest, since it won’t be cooking and just will be serving food and drink.

“I think it will be an interesting prospect, and I think it will give them a little exposure,” Moore said. “We realize that we are technical in Gadsden, too. There (is) a lot of technology we don’t know about, so I think this a good learning experience for all of us.”

Moore joked she’ll have to find out if she has a T-shirt that will fit the robot.

The cook-off has 22 teams entered this year. Moore said the Prince Metal Stamping booth will be at the corner of Fifth and Broad streets, on the side of the Hardin Center.

Spectators will be able to sample the chili beginning at noon for $1 per ticket, or six tickets for $5.

<p>Most teams in Downtown Gadsden Inc.'s sixth annual Chili Cook-off Saturday will be serving chili the usual way. The Prince Metal Stamping team will have a ringer, however — a robot that will serve chili and drinks to spectators.</p><p>The plant produces automotive parts and has been in Gadsden for eight years. It employs 150 people and is undergoing an expansion.</p><p>A team from Prince Metal Stamping entered the chili competition last year. Frank Ciampini, corporate manufacturing manager, said the company wanted to do something “different” this year, so it programed a production robot to help serve chili.</p><p>“We thought it was a lot of fun,” Ciampini said, “and we thought we would do something a little different for the community and put a little bit of a show on — just embellish the chili cook-off.”</p><p>Ciampini said there are about 25 robots in the Prince Metal Stamping plant, at a cost of about $35,000 apiece. This one is mounted on a trailer, has an arm that is about 8 feet long and is used on the assembly line to handle material.</p><p>“What this robot is going to do is people are going to walk up to our display, (and) we're going to have options as to what things they can have,” Ciampini said. “They can have chili, and then they can order drinks.”</p><p>There will be a button for chili and a button for canned drinks on the robot's display panel.</p><p>“It's kind of our way to show the community what we're all about, and hopefully (we) can attract some talent, too,” Ciampini said, adding that the plant needs personnel to work with robotics.</p><p>DGI Director Kay Moore said using the robot is within the rules of the contest, since it won't be cooking and just will be serving food and drink.</p><p>“I think it will be an interesting prospect, and I think it will give them a little exposure,” Moore said. “We realize that we are technical in Gadsden, too. There (is) a lot of technology we don't know about, so I think this a good learning experience for all of us.”</p><p>Moore joked she'll have to find out if she has a T-shirt that will fit the robot. </p><p>The cook-off has 22 teams entered this year. Moore said the Prince Metal Stamping booth will be at the corner of Fifth and Broad streets, on the side of the Hardin Center.</p><p>Spectators will be able to sample the chili beginning at noon for $1 per ticket, or six tickets for $5.</p>